U.S. and Iran Hold High-Stakes Nuclear Talks in Geneva

Threat of war looms as negotiations aim to resolve long-running nuclear dispute

Published on Feb. 18, 2026

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The United States and Iran are holding indirect talks in Geneva on Tuesday, mediated by Oman, in an effort to resolve their long-running nuclear dispute. The negotiations come as the U.S. military is preparing for the possibility of weeks of operations against Iran if President Trump orders an attack. Tehran has said it is willing to discuss curbs on its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief, but will not give up uranium enrichment completely or discuss its missile program.

Why it matters

The high-stakes talks in Geneva represent a critical juncture in the decades-long dispute between the U.S. and Iran over the latter's nuclear ambitions. Failure to reach an agreement could heighten tensions and raise the risk of military conflict in the region, with potentially far-reaching geopolitical and economic consequences.

The details

U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will participate in the Geneva talks, which are being mediated by Oman. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi will represent Iran. President Trump said he would be involved 'indirectly' in the negotiations and believes Tehran wants to make a deal, though the two sides remain far apart on key issues. The U.S. is seeking to expand the scope of the talks to include Iran's missile stockpile, but Iran says it is only willing to discuss curbs on its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

  • The talks are scheduled for Tuesday, February 17, 2026.
  • Aragchi met with International Atomic Energy Agency head Rafael Grossi in Geneva on Monday, February 16, 2026.

The players

Steve Witkoff

A U.S. envoy participating in the Geneva talks.

Jared Kushner

A U.S. envoy participating in the Geneva talks.

Abbas Aragchi

The Iranian Foreign Minister representing Iran in the Geneva talks.

Rafael Grossi

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, who met with Aragchi in Geneva on the eve of the talks.

Donald Trump

The President of the United States, who said he would be involved 'indirectly' in the Geneva talks and believes Tehran wants to make a deal.

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What they’re saying

“I don't think they want the consequences of not making a deal. We could have had a deal instead of sending the B-2s in to knock out their nuclear potential. And we had to send the B-2s.”

— Donald Trump, President of the United States (Air Force One)

“It's hard to do a deal with Iran, but the U.S. is willing to try.”

— Marco Rubio, U.S. Secretary of State (News conference in Budapest)

What’s next

On Tuesday afternoon, Witkoff and Kushner will participate in three-way talks with Russia and Ukraine as Washington attempts to coax Ukraine and Russia into an agreement to end Moscow's four-year-old invasion of Ukraine.

The takeaway

The high-stakes nuclear talks in Geneva represent a critical juncture in the long-running dispute between the U.S. and Iran, with the threat of military conflict looming large. The outcome of these negotiations could have far-reaching geopolitical and economic consequences for the region and beyond.